My teen wants to travel to meet someone they met online. What should I do?

Do not refuse outright — that often leads to them going behind your back. Insist on three things first: a live video call with both of you present, verified identity (full name, real social profile, ideally a parent contact), and the meeting happening in a public place with you nearby. If the partner refuses any of these, that is your answer about whether they are who they claim.

How do I do a reverse image search on their profile picture?

Save the photo, go to https://images.google.com on a browser, click the camera icon in the search bar, and upload the image. If the same picture appears on multiple unrelated profiles, modelling sites, or stock photo sites, it is being used to catfish. TinEye (https://tineye.com) is a useful second tool.

They've been dating for six months but never had a video call — is that normal?

No. Six months without a single video call is a major red flag. There are very few legitimate reasons for it, and it is the most common signature of catfishing or age deception. Frame it to your teen as: "If they can't show you their real face after six months, what are they hiding?"

Important

Your Teen Has an Online-Only Relationship

How to assess whether your teen's online partner is who they say they are — and what to do if you have concerns.

What might be happening

Your teen has told you (or you have discovered) that they are in a relationship with someone they have only met online. The partner could be a real teenager in another town or country, a real teenager but older than claimed, or an adult posing as a teenager. Online relationships between real teens are increasingly normal and often harmless. The risk is not the relationship itself — it is the inability to verify who the other person actually is, and the emotional intensity that can develop very quickly when contact is constant.

How serious is it?

Most online-only teen relationships are real and resolve themselves (they fizzle out or move offline safely). A meaningful minority involve catfishing, age deception, or coercive control that is harder to spot than offline because there are no friends or family observing it. The most serious form is when the "partner" is an adult who has spent weeks or months grooming the teen — by that stage the teen will defend them strongly and resent your concern. Approach with curiosity, not interrogation.

What to do first

Step 1

Stay open and interested, not alarmed. Ask to hear about the person: how they met, where they live, what they do, when they last had a video call. Listen without immediate verdicts.

Step 2

Ask whether your teen has had a live video call with them — not just photos or pre-recorded clips. No video after weeks of "dating" is a significant warning sign for catfishing or age deception.

Step 3

Look at the partner's profile together if your teen will let you. Reverse image search their profile pictures (Google Images → camera icon) to check whether the images appear elsewhere on the internet under different names.

Step 4

Have a clear conversation about red flags: asking for images, asking for money, asking your teen to keep the relationship secret from you, refusing video, pushing fast to move to a different app.

Step 5

Agree a plan: no in-person meeting without you knowing exactly when, where, and who — and ideally without you being nearby. If a meeting is proposed, that is the moment to involve another trusted adult and to insist on verification.

What to say

Phrases that help

"I'm not trying to end this for you — I'm trying to make sure they are who they say they are, because that matters."
"Real partners don't ask you to keep them secret, and they don't refuse to video call."
"If anything ever feels off — even small things — you can tell me without losing the relationship. I'll help you think it through."

What not to say

✗"You can't have a real relationship with someone you've never met." — your teen will simply stop telling you about it.
✗"They're probably a 50-year-old man." — even if you fear this, framing it that way pushes the teen to defend the relationship harder.
✗"I'm going to message them and find out who they are." — this destroys trust and may push the contact underground onto an app you cannot see.

Settings to check

•Review which apps the relationship is happening on. If it has moved to encrypted or disappearing-message apps (Signal, Telegram, Snapchat disappearing chats), that limits your visibility — discuss why.
•Check that location sharing is not enabled with the partner. Many teens turn this on as a sign of trust without realising what they have shared.
•Look at payment apps and gift card history — requests for money or vouchers are a strong sign of fraud or grooming.
•Make sure your teen knows how to reverse image search and how to use a video call to verify identity safely.

When to escalate

If you believe the partner is an adult lying about their age, or is asking for images, money, or in-person meetings under suspicious circumstances, report to CEOP (https://www.ceop.police.uk). If your teen has been told to keep the relationship secret and is showing signs of coercion (anxiety when not on the phone, secretive behaviour, withdrawal from friends), contact the NSPCC helpline (0808 800 5000) for advice. If money has been requested, also report to Action Fraud (0300 123 2040).

Frequently Asked Questions

Last reviewed: 2026-05-17 · This page is educational guidance, not a substitute for emergency services, safeguarding professionals, or legal advice.

This is practical educational content to support families. For case-specific concerns about a child's safety, contact the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 or your local safeguarding team.